Friction-clutch.



A. W. WHITGOMB.

FRIGTION CLUTCH.

APPLIGATION FILED JUNE 2, 1911.

1,049,957. Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

Z55 1]@ i@ fig 2.

nvenor ALONZO W. WHITCGMB, Ovl WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1913.

Application filed June 2, 1911. Serial 1il'0. 630,833.l

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALONZO W. WHIT- coMB, a citizen of the'United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of Worcester and Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in F riction-Clutches, of which thefollowing is a specification. l

My present invention relates more particularly to -that class of friction clutches known as internal 'expanding clutches, and especially to those clutches in which the clutching members are thrown into engagementfby the force of an electromagnet, and it has for its objects to increase the eiiciency of the clutch and to' secure lthe proper relation between the clutching members and-the magnetic members by which the clutching members are operated. These objects, among others, are secured by the construction and arrangement of parts as hereinafter described and pointed out" inthe annexed claims. Y i

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved clutch, shown in vertical central sectional view. Fig. 2 is a detached plan view of a portion of the clutch, with one of the cliltchf ing members shown in sectional view on the broken line 2 2, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the clutching members. Fig. 4 is an end view of the armature of the electroma et. Fig. 5. is a perspect-ive view of one of the ratchet pawls.

Similar reference characters refer to simil lar parts in the different figures.

Referring to Fig. 1, 1 denotes a rotat-ing shaft provided with a bel pulley 2 by which the shaft, in the present linstance, is driven. 3 denotes -an electromagnet keyed to the shaft 1 and having a hub 4 and a peripheral flange 5. Between thehub'4 and the flange 5 is an annular space which contains a wire coil 6 having its terminals'connected in the usual manner with the rings 7 and' 8, provided withv brushes 9 and 10 forming the two poles of an electric circuit. The periph-l eral ange 5 of the electromagnet is provided with a face 11 in a plane preferably at right angles with the axis of rotation of the elect-romagnet. Integral with the eripheral fiange 5 is a friction ring 12 havmg an interior beveled surface 13, said ring 12 forming one of the clutching members. Turning loosely upon the shaft 1 is a sleeve 14, to which 1s keyed, inthe present instance, a gear wheel 15 through which the rotary mot-ion of the sleeve 14 may be imparted to the work to be driven. Extending voutwardly from the sleeve 14-are a series of spokes 16, upon the ends of which are mounted the separated sections 17 curved concentricallywith the axis of the shaft 1. and having anouter beveled surface 18 titting the inner beveled surface 13 of the fric. tlon ring 12. Each of the spokes 16 is slightly dishedtowardthe lower vside of the beveledsurface 18, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Thesleeve 14 is provided with a screw thread 19 to receive the screw threaded hub 2Q ofan armature 21, provided with a peripheral iiange 22 and lnclosing an annular space 23 to receive thatportion of the wire Coil 6 which projects from the electromagnet.' The armature 2,1 is provided with a series .of concentricequidistant recesses 24 to receive the pins or pawls 25, having their outer ends beveled to. engage an annular ratchet 26 attached to the spokes 16. In-

serted in the recesses 24 and behind each of it towardA the electromagnet` will tend toI straighten the dished spokes 16, or move themI from their dished position, vas shown in Figs. v1 and 2, toward a radial position, which will expand the sections 17 and crowd their beveled surfaces 18 more firmly against the exterior friction ring 12. v In the operation of the clutch shown in the accompanying .drawings the electromagnet is driven throul h the rying with it the the outer clutching member. The sleeve 14 with the spokes 16 and curved separated sections 17 forming the inner clutching member are held stationary by the resistance of the load upon the gear wheel 15. When the electromagnet is ener'gized, the armature is drawn into contact with the electromagnet and caused to rotate in the direction of the lt pulley 2, carture in the irection of the arrow 30 upon iction ring 12 forming.

i. arrow 30, Fi 2. The rotation ofthe armathe screw threaded sleeve 1t dra-ws the inner clutching member into Contact with the outer clutching member. As soon as the frictional surfaces 13 and 18 are brought into contact, the st-rain applied by the electromagnet upon the sleeve 11i will tend to draw the sleeve toward the electromagnet and straighten the dished spokes 16, thereby expanding the friction surface 18 ot the inner clutching member against the friction surface 13 ot the outer clutching member. rlhe application ofl the force ot the magnet upon the sleeve 111 tends to draw the dislied spokes 16 toward a plane more nearly at right angles with their axes ot rotation. The attractive torce ot the electromagnet will continue to act upon the elastic or yielding spolres 16 to impart a radial thrust upon the separated sections 17 until the trictional contact ot the surfaces 13 and 18 causes the inner clutching member to rotate synchronously with the electromagnet and shaft 1. The independent rotation ot .the armature 21 upon the screw threaded sleeve 1-1, theretore, draws the clutching members together in a line parallel with their axes oit rotation until the inner clutching member contacts with the outer clutching member, when the 'pressure is increased between the outer and inner clutching members by the springing ot the elastic spokes 16 toward a plane more nearly at right angles with their axes et rotation, or until a suiicient pressure exists between the clutchin members to cause the rotation of one clutc ing member to be imparted to the other.

Whenever the electromagnet is denergized, both the armature 21 and the inner clutching member are released and brought to a state of rest by the resistance ot the load upon the gear wheel 15. The elasticity ot the spokes 16 will then return them to their normal dished position, causing a slight sliding movement to take place in the sleeve 14 suiiicient to draw the armature slightly away from the electromagnet. l/Vhen the electromagnet is again energized, its action upon the armature -21 will instantly draw the inner clutching member into operative position to be rotated by the outer clutching member. No further rotative movement ot the armature upon the screw threaded sleeve 14 will then take place until the rictional surfaces 13 and 18 become worn. Any lost motion occasioned by the wearing away ot the frictional surfaces 13 and 18 will be at once taken up by the rotation of the armature 21 upon the screw threaded sleeve 14. The screw threaded connection between the armature 21 and thesleeve 14 automatically adjusts the position of the inner clutching member to take up any wear that may occur. During the `independent rotation of the armature 21 on the screw threaded sleeve 14, the pawls 25, carried by the armature, slide reale contact; and automatic means tor adjustingthe clutching members to provide against lost motion by the wearing ott their frictional surfaces. l am aware, however, that the results described may be accomplishedby magnetically operated friction clutches embodying the different mentioned elements, but different in details et construct-ion from that l have herein described and shown in the accompanying drawings as what l deem a preferable embodiment of my present' invention.

l laim,

1. A clutch, comprising an electromagnet, an armature, two clutching members, with one .of said clutching members having a fixed relation to said elcctromagnet, means for connecting the other clutching member with said armature, and means for automatically adjusting' the relation of said armature to its connected clutching member.

2. A clutch, comprising two magnetically attracted members and two clutching members, with one of said magnetic members having a fined relation to one of said clutching members, and with the other magnetic member having an adjustable connection with the other ot said clutching members.

A clutch, comprising two members, one of which consists ot an electromagnet, whereby said members are capable of being mutually attracted when said electromagnet has been energized, two clutching members, with one of said clutching members held in a fixed relation to one of said magnetic members, and with the other of said clutching members adjustably connected with the other of said magnetic members, andan electric circuit for energizing one of said magnetic members.

4. In a friction clutch, an annular clutching member having an interior beveled friction surface, a second clutching member having a corresponding exterior beveled friction surface, two magnetic members consisting of an electromagnet and its armature, with one ot said magnetic members held in a fixed relation with one of said clutching members and with the other, of said magnetic members adjustably connected with the other of said clutching members.

5. A. clutch, comprising two clutching members capable of 'frictional engagement,

an electromagnet held in fixed relation to one Vof said clutching members, and an armature for said electromagnet having a screw threaded connection with the other v of said clutching members.

6. A clutch, comprising outer and inner rotative clutching members provided with beveled frictional engaging surfaces, an electromagnet held in fixed relation to one of said clutching members, and an armature operatively connected with the hub of the other clutching member bya screw threaded connection and capable of an independent rotative movement. p v

7'. In a friction clutch, an outer clutching member having an interior beveled friction surface, an inner clutching member, comprising concentric sections having exterior beveled friction surfaces supported on elastic arms or spokes normally lying in a plane at an oblique angle to their axes of rotation, means for moving said friction surfaces into contact, and means for applyinga. strain to said elast-ic arms or spokes to press them toward aplane at right anglesmagnet, and said armature having a screw threaded connection with said inner clutching member. Y

10. In a clutch, outer and inner clutching members having opposing beveled frictional surfaces, an electromagnet and an armature therefor' forming two 'magnetic members, said armature having a screw threaded connection with said inner clutching member, whereby the relative positions of .said clutching members and said magnetic members may-be adjusted.

11. In a clutch, a rotatabley electromagnet, an armature therefor, forming -two magnetic members, outer and inner clutching members .having opposing beveled surfaces, said outer clutching member being held in fixed relation to said electromagnet and said inner clutching member having a screw threaded connection with said armature, and a pawl and ratchet mechanism between said inner clutching member and said armature to limit the rotative movement of'said armature in one direction relatively-t0 Said inner clutching member.

12. In a clutch, outer and inner clutching members, an electromagnet' held in liXed relation to said outer clutching member, an armature having an adjustable connection with said inner clutching member by means of the rotation of the armature independently of the rotation of said inner clutching member.

Dated this first day of June 1911.

ALONZO lV. WHITCOMB.

Witnesses:

PENELOPE COMBERBACH, NELLIE WHALEN. 

